How to Move up the Ladder in Your Career

It’s a big career change that comes as a result of many small, strategic choices.

This is about more than making a big sale or having the most creative marketing ideas. It’s about the relationships you build, the consistency of your delivery, and more.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s just a matter of funding and availability.

Either way, if you think there’s a window of opportunity on the horizon, you have to be making preparations now to be in the running.

Here are a few things to do to move up the ladder in your career.

1. Get to Know Your Team

To get to the top, it helps to know a few people who are already there.

Make an effort to build a relationship with your manager beyond monthly reports and numbers. See if you can sit in on a couple meetings, or just go to lunch together.

Try to expand your network beyond your immediate coworkers, too.

Go to more company events and make your name known.

This helps everyone in the building remember who you are, and one of them might end up needing your help with something. Don’t make it all about work, though. Just be yourself and try to genuinely connect with more people.

Who knows, one of the people you hit it off with might become your new mentor.

A mentor doesn’t always have to be a member of leadership or someone directly involved with your department. They could be a person with more time at the company or experience in the industry overall.

Still, this person’s insights are not something to take for granted.

2. Go Above and Beyond

Similar to how a simple connection can blossom into a big opportunity, so can a regular assignment.

Commit to doing more than what is expected of you in your day to day operations. This could be as simple as being better about your follow-ups or as detailed as running some new reports.

Show up early whenever you can and leave a little later from time to time as well.

Most of all, ask questions, and if you have a bright idea, share it.

See if your boss is willing to go over a set of numbers or some pitches with you. Ask a person in your department about their specialty, too. Maybe even offer to contribute to the company’s blog, like the one Creativedge Marketing has.

The more you bring up such topics, the more you learn.

This helps you understand the big picture of everything going on in your company.

More so, it makes you perceptive. You’ll be able to better recognize an opportunity to move up the ladder when you see it.

3. Take On More Work

It pays to understand not every chance to get a promotion starts as a job opening.

It may just be as simple as you jumping in on a new project or taking time to build your skills. This shows initiative, and when you excel at what you attempt, it shows potential.

These are two things any hiring manager is looking for, and they will appreciate it when it comes from an internal team member.

Taking on work can also be in the form of assistance to the team members below you.

4. Be a Leader

Leadership is a quality not to be forgotten as you move up the ladder of your career.

If anything, it becomes more important. The more you advance and gain responsibilities, the more people will be depending on you. Not to mention all the other ones admiring your work.

Start working on leadership now to have the right values and habits in place later.

You can do this by getting involved in volunteer initiatives and taking seminars offered at work. But, the true skills of a leader often show in everyday life.

Leadership plays into how you greet a coworker and how you make a hiring decision. It’s about communication, passion, and respect more than it is about honor and title.

Show your staff you are worthy and understanding of what will be asked of you when you move up the ladder.

This way, they will have full confidence in you when the promotion does happen.

5. Stay Focused

One of the most important things to remember as you attempt to move up the ladder is that it’s not a straight path.

You will have challenges and obstacles, no matter if you’re a new hire or you’ve built up a good amount of tenure at your job.

These are the times that will test your skills the most.

Your soft skills will show when you keep your cool or crack under pressure. People will be able to tell how you can handle the things thrown your way. It reflects your character beyond leadership and professionalism.

But, the more you stay calm, the better you can improve your hard skills.

When you have to solve big issues, you’re forced to bring out your best work.

This goes for all industries – IT, accounting, marketing, construction, healthcare, you name it. It is often the toughest challenges that produce the most impressive results.

Stay focused on the tasks in front of you and eager for new challenges to come your way. These are a chance to show your team what you can do.

Overcoming a problem at work says you are reliable, persistent, and capable of more responsibilities.

Such qualities rank high on the list of what most hiring managers are looking for.

To Move Up the Ladder, or to Change Careers?

Sometimes, the best way to move up the ladder is to take a hard look at the one you’re trying to climb.

Your first career choice doesn’t have to be your only career choice. Or, you might need to branch out to find all the opportunities you’re looking for in your industry.

Commit to applying all of the tips mentioned above, but also notice how far they take you. If you feel stuck, discouraged, or unsure of your next move, it could be time to consider something else.